My best trip had to July when I hit central Queensland. Beautiful scenery and calm for two weeks, though the absence of technology became a bit of a problem.

December 2 Restaurant moment.

Best restaurant moment would have to have been being out with work mates at fasta pasta and learning how to de-stress from a two year old. “Can’t care.”

December 4 Book. What book – fiction or non – touched you?

I haven’t read a lot of new books in 2009, I’ve mostly reread and written but I would probably have to go with Twilight, not because I liked it, but because reading this meant that I could actually understand what other people were talking about. I hate being in the dark.

December 7 Blog find of the year.

Okay I probably knew about it before this year but given the number of times in the last month I’ve linked to it because I have absolutely loved one post or another I’m putting Elizabeth Spann Craig’s Mystery Writing is Murder up as the blog find of the year.

December 8 Moment of peace.

I gained a lot of peace and solitude when I caught the flu. Everyone avoided me for weeks. unfortunately this moment of peace came with the price of falling hopelessly behind at work and on writing and it meant that my previous blog died. However it meant I did get to start over and not duplicate the mistakes of my first blog and I think all up things have worked out for the best.

December 9 Challenge.

The biggest challenge I’ve faced would be addressing the first round of comments from my editor. Having my writing properly edited was a new experience and very illuminating.

December 10 Album of the year.

In the end I’m going to have to give it to Kate Miller-Heidke’s Curiouser, mostly because of “politics in space”.

December 11 The best place.

Has to be home. Specifically, at home on the couch with a great book and a long day with no to-do list stretching out before me. Doesn’t happen very often.

December 12 New food.

2009 I became a major mayonnaise fan. I don’t know why I suddenly like mayo, I just know I didn’t before this year.

December 17 Word or phrase.

I’m going to have to go with awesome because this year it has really become the ultimate in sarcasm.

December 24 Learning experience.

I discovered Japanese Coach for the DS and I have become a massive fan. Now I can follow snippets of anime while not reading the subtitles.

December 25 Gift. What’s a gift you gave yourself this year that has kept on giving?

I think time is going to have to be the judge of that. I do know that this year my gifts were more practical than in previous years so hopefully they will see some use.

December 26 Insight or aha! moment.

So many to choose from. I think it had to be when I figured out the ending to one of my wips. I had planned an ending but the story had gotten side tracked and the ending no longer worked. I didn’t want to change the side tracked part of the draft because I think it worked out better, but I didn’t know how to end it. Luckily, a few days later, I had an aha moment and it all kind of worked out.

December 27 Social web moment.

Figuring out how facebook actually works has got to be my moment. I signed up and then stared at it for ages wondering what I was supposed to do. I still prefer twitter but I finally have facebook up and running.

December 29 Laugh.

Bella falling off her motorbike? Probably not. Actually, I think it will have to go to Zombieland. I was really pleasantly surprised by how funny that actually was.

I kept most of my resolutions but I wish I had managed to write something every day. I don’t think I’ll stick with it next year either. I work well in spurts and then I need a few days to mull it over. Maybe that is just me. Still, I’ll make the resolution to write more and see what happens.